Canberra Preview - Thursday

The fate of the MV Tampa has spiralled from diplomatic stand-off to international incident. The Federal Government's decision to order SAS troops to take command of the Norwegian freighter, after it defied Australia's order to not enter our waters, is now being questioned legally.In the early hours of this morning, the Senate blocked emergency legislation introduced by the Coalition, which would have given retrospective legal cover to any attempt to forcibly remove the ship from our waters. The Federal Opposition has abandoned its bipartisan approach to the Tampa, and the 438 asylum seekers on board, describing the proposed legislation as "...politically motivated" and "...too sweeping".For its part, the Government's argued it has acted legally and the legislation would have simply reinforced its legal position. It's now expected to force the freighter to return to international waters, possibly as early as today. So where does Australia stand legally? Cathy Van Extel talks to Ivan Shearer, professor of international law at Sydney University.